Gently down the stream

Gathering all our willpower about us, Jim and I finally left Rio de Janeiro on the afternoon of October 15th. A six-hour-long bus ride took us to Sao Paulo, where we spent two nights in one of the city's best neighbourhoods, Jardim Paulista.

We stayed at the unimaginatively named "Pousada & Hostel Sao Paulo", which although relaxed and welcoming, was located a little too far from the city centre, offered minimal facilities, employed staff who spoke Portuguese only, and was home to a rather large cockroach that somehow decided that my right foot would be a nice little area to scamper over. Ugh.

Sampa, as the city is nicknamed, is said to have been an immigrant magnet in the 1950s. The result of its rapid growth is a bevy of crime-ridden slums, which we nervously witnessed during a taxi ride towards the airport on the night of the 17th. I was glad to touch down in Manaus just after midnight, where we were meticulously greeted by out hostel transfer and met another new arrival, French-Canadian Bastian.

Set deep in the Amazon rainforest, Manaus is a small, out-of-the-way sort of tourist destination with few city luxuries. Even restaurants were hard to come by, so much so that one night had me scouring the streets on an almost desperately hunt for an open diner.

The weather too was a shocker, with the heat and humidity driving me to near insanity within short hours of leaving our air-conditioned hostel room. Nights were a little cooler; however, nightfall also came with a flood of mosquitoes which would feed on my poor, scarred legs without mercy. Luckily, our room at the Hostel Manaus was perfect: a bug-free private room with an ensuite, writing desk, ceiling fan and air-conditioner for 65 reais per night.

We spent three days in Manaus before boarding the M. Montiero cargo ship to Tabatinga on Saturday afternoon. Having only read reports of rather difficult journeys in overcrowded communal rooms, we were initially wary of travelling via cargo ship. However, the M. Montiero is spacious beyond my expectations. While the lowermost deck is absolutely full of cargo including fruit, electronics, and even motorcycles, the passenger room on the second storey looks to be pleasantly full, with a decent amount of personal space between hammocks.



Being the creatures of comfort that we are, Jim and I have paid for the highest possible class of passenger tickets, which, for 400 reais each, has bought us a good sized, air-conditioned double cabin on the third and uppermost deck of the ship, with an ensuite, private balcony and bar fridge. Perfect! Having already spent two nights on this ship, I can happily say that this has easily been the best 400 reais I have spent on this trip.

Our journey so far has been smooth and beautifully scenic. The meals included in our ticket price have been of decent quality, and there is even an onboard cafeteria to satisfy our consumer desires. As I write this, I am seated on the balcony of my private cabin, staring out into the rippled Rio Negro and the Amazon jungle beyond it. The sun is setting in the most marvellous shock of peach in an otherwise blue-grey sky. Oh, beautiful world!

posted by liz at 1:30 PM